February 16, 2016

11 Months of Hazel



Dear Hazel,

I feel a little bit heartbroken that this is my last letter to you during your first year of life as a baby. Soon you will be a whole year old. If I'm being honest, you already are not a baby anymore. You are so much more than a baby. You are a small human, but for the time being I am still going to call you a baby. My baby forever.

You are xxlbs and xx inches and wearing 9-18 month clothes, and you love to eat!

You've been signing "more" for a while now, but now you start to sign it when you are hungry or smell food. Your aunt Lindsey came for a visit and we went shopping at Ikea... just beyond the checkout area there's a concession with ice cream and cinnamon rolls. When you smelled those cinnamon rolls you said "MORE!!" (with your hands). We can't fool you when it comes to eating anymore. You know when you are getting your "baby" food and we are eating something else. You want to be just like us and eat whatever we have. We give you pieces of whatever we can, and you love it! Sometimes, if we are snacking or eating on the couch you'll come up and beg for a taste with your big baby blues. Norbert thinks it's really unfair that we give you tastes and he gets scolded for doing the same thing. He can't be too sad though, because you have discovered that it's pretty fun to throw your food on the floor and watch him eat it! You're going to make him fat!!

We fed you your first lemon the other night while you were helping us cook. We got out both of our phone and our camera to document your sour face, but it didn't faze you a bit. You LOVED it. I had to pry the peel out of your hands.

We are still breastfeeding, but recently I've been very worried about it and whether you are getting enough milk. Supply seems low and on top of that you are a distracted nurser, and you are always pausing to see what it going on, or you want to go PLAY! I plan to keep nursing past your birthday and follow your cues for weaning hopefully closer to your second birthday, but we shall see...

Your dad has been trying to teach you to say "I love you" and you're getting closer, although your version is basically vowel sounds in a similar rhythm. You haven't really mastered any words yet, but you sure love to talk. We love to hear your sweet voice and I am so excited to some day be able to understand the thoughts you are expressing.

The big news of the month = you are WALKING. Really walking. You went from pushing your car back and forth across the living room, to taking steps into our arms with encouragement, to venturing off on your own from couch to table and back. Everyday you get more confident, and you are getting faster and steadier on your feet. You still plop on your butt sometimes, but you've even gotten better at falling, so it doesn't bother you too much. It's all part of learning.

You do so many adorable things each and everyday. You watch us intently and pick up on our actions and habits. If I hand you your hair brush or comb after using them on your hair, you will put it on your head and try to brush it yourself. You blow your nose into tissues and socks (we don't blow our noses into socks, for the record, but I can see how they resemble the cloths we generally use on your face). You are not the most snuggly baby, but if we have a pillow out you will lay your head down and snuggle it.

Just the other night you had your dad cracking up because you and I were on the floor and I was laying my head on a throw pillow. You came over to do the same thing, but you missed the pillow and landed your head on the floor by mistake. Despite the rather forceful impact, you just went with it and snuggled the floor instead!

You've made a leap in your play. You have gone from banging your blocks together to stacking them, and you keep yourself very busy putting your toys in a box, car seat, cup, etc. and then taking them out again. It keeps you enthralled for a long time. You are fascinated with books (not the part of us reading them, but the physical book itself). You've always liked them, but now you've figured out how to turn the pages of your board books, and you play with and study them very intently.

We have been getting some nicer days so we've gotten to take you outside a little more. One day I was letting you crawl around in the yard and get a little muddy. You saw the chickens and started heading toward them saying "woof!" I'm still not sure where you picked it up since Norbert doesn't even bark at them, but it was hilarious. You are an excellent "woofer" and like to bark whenever Norbert does or when we pass our neighborhood dogs on walks.

There have been a few snowfalls this month, so you've gotten to experience some more of that white, cold stuff. Yesterday, we even took you sledding for the first time! You're getting over being sick so we were outside for only a few minutes, but I think you enjoyed the ride. It was the same weekend last year that I was sledding while very pregnant with you. My OB thought I was crazy, but I knew it wasn't dangerous, and I was hoping that the fun may entice you to come out!

Gosh, it's really hard to explain how sweet and cute you really are. We frequently say to each other "She's just SO stinkin' cute." And you are. It doesn't stop being true. And we can't help but say it over and over and over again. The feeling of love that washes over us time and again everytime we look at you or hear your voice is completely breathtaking and indescribable.

We love you, Hazelbutt... more than you will ever comprehend!

{  Her games reflect the election year  }
{  Her first snow angel! (Same snow outing as one of the pictures
from her last post, but technically she was 10 months already in it.)  }
{  Our new baby gate! In jail!  }


{  I made a dress out of your dad's shirt  }



{  Littlest old lady  }


{  Lookin' at dad  }




{  Climbing our muddy hill  }




{  Aunt Lindsey came for a visit!  }
{  I could die over that cart!  }






{  Watching her first football game after stuffing her face with so much food!!  }

{  Making me smell her socks  }









{  Blurry, but look at that length!  }

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February 14, 2016

Tiny Toes to Warm Hearts

To warm your hearts this Valentine
a project from this baby of mine

Store-bought cards, not this year
she will make something, so sincere

She giggles and scrunches her button nose
Cold wet paint on her sweet little toes

Footprints on these doily hearts
not to impress those high in the arts

But is there anything that can really beat
the simple, little imprints of such tiny feet

Toes pointed away with heels meeting
Capturing her baby self, so fleeting

Full of joy and full of light
She makes you want to squeeze her tight

So many special people in her sphere
Your importance to her is imperative to hear

She sends her love along the way
to fill your hearts this special day



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